What are these random 4H hatching egg chicks?

[classicsredone]

My sister is a K/1 teacher, and every year she does a life science unit that includes hatching chicks. She rents an incubator, and buys eggs brought into the county extension office by 4H members. The eggs are never labeled, so it is always a guessing game to try to figure out what she hatched. The chicks normally go to a coworker of hers, but their flock is full right now. I ended up with the 9 chicks left after she offered some to the parents. It had been about six years, but we have had chickens before.

We promised our neighbors that we would not keep roos, but I might keep one or two rooms at my other sisters house temporarily for breeding purposes. These chicks are 5 weeks old, and most of them are a bit big for 5 weeks. The chicks looked like barred rocks, but with all but two with no head spots. The two with spots are definite roos, but their legs are not all yellow like a barred rock. One is blonde, and the others are a combination of brown and black.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I would say the ones with barring (black and white, almost spotted chick) are barred rocks or something like that. There's also dominiques and others that look like that so I'm not entirely certain. Also I'm not that certain, but the completely solid black ones (the little roo with the huge, red comb) is maybe a black Australorp?

 

[classicsredone]

I would say the ones with barring (black and white, almost spotted chick) are barred rocks or something like that. There's also dominiques and others that look like that so I'm not entirely certain. Also I'm not that certain, but the completely solid black ones (the little roo with the huge, red comb) is maybe a black Australorp?

The black birds with barring do look like they might be Barred Rocks, although I was not sure because I have only had barred birds that *are* actually Barred Rocks. I have no experience growing out other barred breeds. Both barred birds, while drastically different in size, are both roos.

I was wondering if the big, solid black bird with the big comb (also known as Maple Bacon) might be Australorp or Jersey Giant. I think this is the bird that you are talking about, since he is the only one with a very big, already red and slightly floppy comb. His face does look like other 5 week Jersey Giants, but again, I have no experience with the breeds. Many of the other chicks have very thick legs, as well. Even the hens have beefy legs and are big chicks. I get why they do not label the hatching eggs, but it would be nice to know what breeds might be possible.

Just FYI - the birds are not shoved into the cages all day. They are not completely feathered and it has been unseasonably cool, so they are spending days outside and come in at dusk. Their outdoor cattle-panel coop/run is almost ready, so they will be outside at night as soon as possible.

 

[redranger209]

Not Dominique, they have rose or pea combs, I forgot which.

 

[classicsredone]

I'm not sure if this is helpful because the HD video was compressed quite a bit for whatever reason. This shows their relative size, you can see leg color and leg-feathering on some, and you can also see my little rumpless girl. If you look closely, the darker and larger barred bird has bare, cream and grey legs. They are not bright yellow like my Barred Rocks have had. The other chick that is barred has feathers down the legs and partial feathering on the feet.

 

[lomine]

Do 4H eggs have to be pure breed?

 

[classicsredone]

Do 4H eggs have to be pure breed?

Nope. They just need to be fertile. It is entirely possible that some barnyard crosses are in the mix. They do appear to be distinctly different breeds, aside from the feathered feet on many of them.

 

[drumstick diva]

Sorry I can't seem to recognize the ones in the photos. If you have barred birds without the yellow legs or black wash over yellow legs maybe it's a Dominique rather than a Barred Rock.

 

[lomine]

Maybe they had a feather footed rooster in the flock. I believe that’s a dominate trait. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)

 

[classicsredone]

Maybe they had a feather footed rooster in the flock. I believe that’s a dominate trait. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)

I have a feeling that they do have a feather-footed rooster in the flock, and I have a feeling that he is pretty big. Only two chickens are of the typical size for a five-week-old dual purpose chick.